


Finding Peace

by Ailendolin



Series: Snapshots in Space [1]
Category: Star Trek: Picard
Genre: 5+1 Things, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Canonical Character Death, Character Death Fix, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fix-It, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Hurt/Comfort, Post-Canon Fix-It, Sad with a Happy Ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-07
Updated: 2020-07-07
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:07:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,019
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25125934
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ailendolin/pseuds/Ailendolin
Summary: Five times Elnor had to watch Hugh die, and one time he didn't.
Relationships: Elnor & Hugh | Third of Five, Elnor & Hugh | Third of Five & Seven of Nine, Elnor & Seven of Nine
Series: Snapshots in Space [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1821478
Comments: 6
Kudos: 21





	Finding Peace

**Author's Note:**

> The character death warning is for the canonical character death of Hugh in the show (although we never saw a body, so I refuse to believe he is truly dead).
> 
> I'm not a native English speaker, so if you find any mistakes, point them out to me and I'll fix them. 
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Star Trek, Star Trek Picard or any of the characters mentioned in this story, and I don't make any money with this.

**Finding Peace**

**1\. Prime Universe**

There are moments in life a person never forgets. A dream come true, a task fulfilled, a new life born, another taken. Elnor’s life is filled with those moments. He remembers the birth of his baby sister despite how young he had been when she had taken her first breath. He remembers his first day of school, and the proud smiles of his parents when he finished his first assignment of homework in record time. He remembers meeting Picard, and the urge to follow him up into the wonders of space.

But most of all, he remembers Hugh.

Hugh, with his kind eyes and gentle voice, his infinite patience and loyalty. Hugh, who cared so much about everyone else but so little about himself. Hugh, who only wanted to help and paid the ultimate price for it.

Hugh who was the one person Elnor couldn’t save.

He still sees that self-deprecating smile when he closes his eyes, the words _hopeful fool_ echoing in his mind. Sometimes it feels like Hugh’s touch is still ghosting over his skin, not quite there yet tangible enough to make him shudder.

A part of Elnor wishes it would stop.

Another hopes it never will.

* * *

**2\. Universe 2**

When Elnor opens his eyes, he knows he’s dreaming.

He is back on the Artifact, back in those cursed dimly-lit corridors that offer no warmth. The lights are flickering, making it hard to anticipate an attack. He remembers this, remembers the anxiety now curling deep in his gut as he takes step after step, always aware of Hugh’s vulnerable presence right next to him.

Elnor knows how this will play out, and he dreads it. He has replayed this moment in his mind more times than he can count, and he always ends up regretting how he let the Zhat Vash agent goad him into putting down his sword.

Only this time he doesn’t. He tightens his grip on the handle and his enemy seems to be as surprised by this as he is. Then her eyes narrow, and her calculating look makes Elnor’s blood freeze. He moves forward before she can finish hatching a new plan but he isn’t fast enough. With the agility of a cat she dances past him, her shoulder catching him off-balance. The last thing Elnor sees before he wakes up is the knife in her raised hand as she advances on Hugh.

He screams.

* * *

**3\. Universe 32**

A week later, and Elnor is dreaming again. Same Artifact, same corridor, same moment. Only it is not. It feels like more than a dream, more than a distorted memory.

Elnor doesn’t know what to make of it. All he knows is that Hugh is still with him, still alive and full of hopes and dreams that will shatter in a matter of minutes because Elnor is not fast enough, not _good_ enough to protect him.

He stops and selfishly takes a moment to look at Hugh, to drink in the sight of him still filled with life. He wants to remember this, the way Hugh’s eyes are gleaming with determination instead of being dulled by pain.

But more than anything he wants to reach out, to feel warm skin beneath his longing fingertips.

And he almost does but the shadow behind Hugh is faster. A pale hand emerges from the darkness and delicate fingers wrap themselves around Hugh’s neck, yanking backwards and squeezing, squeezing, _squeezing_ until Hugh is unable to even gasp when a second hand pushes a knife mercilessly between his ribs and _twists_ until pale skin turns red.

Elnor wakes up covered in sweat, his heart aching.

* * *

**4\. Universe 49**

He asks Seven about it – the dreams that feel like more, like a glimpse into a past that isn’t his own. She tells him about different universes, different versions of himself and Hugh, and Elnor’s heart aches because they all meet the same fate.

He is scared to go to sleep that night, of facing another Hugh’s death and being unable to prevent it. When he opens his eyes, he is not surprised to be back on the Artifact. It’s a different corridor this time, though, and the change is so unexpected that Elnor wonders if maybe tonight things will be different, if maybe he will be able to save Hugh.

His hopes are shattered the moment he enters the chamber. Bodies litter the ground – xBs with pale skin who never got to feel sunlight and wind on their faces – and among them is Hugh, face-down and with his hand stretched out in a last attempt to reach his people. Around him, blood is pooling from the open wound in his throat. 

Elnor staggers forward, desperate to touch even though he knows he is too late. His hand touches ice-cold skin and he startles awake with tears on his face.

* * *

**5\. Universe 54**

The others begin to notice something’s wrong. Only Seven knows, though, and Elnor takes strength from the warmth of her hand on his shoulder and her heartfelt, “I’m sorry this is happening to you.”

That night, he opens his eyes in the corridor just outside the Queen’s Cell. The door is already closing behind them and up ahead the sound of running footsteps echoes from the walls. He turns to Hugh, already knowing that in this universe, they won’t make it very far.

“I’m sorry,” he says, repeating Seven’s words from earlier and hoping they will bring Hugh a little comfort as well.

“For what?” Hugh asks, head tilted to the side.

“That my best won’t be good enough.”

Hugh frowns but before he can reply the corridor is swarmed by Romulans. Elnor knows he’s a good fighter and better trained than they are, but the sheer number of them is overwhelming. He tries to protect Hugh as long as he can but in the end he is brought to his knees and can only watch helplessly as they advance on Hugh and make him scream.

He wakes up abruptly and barely reaches the toilet before he loses his dinner.

* * *

**+1 Universe 102**

“Still getting those visions?”

Elnor nods. “Every night.”

Seven never calls them dreams, and Elnor is grateful for that.

“And Hugh always dies?” Seven asks.

Elnor’s shoulders sag. “Always. No matter where we start out, I always fail to protect him.” He looks up at her. “What if I’m the reason he’s dying in every universe?”

“You’re not,” Seven says matter-of-factly. Before Elnor can protest she holds up her hand. “The number of parallel universes out there is infinite,” she explains. “In some universes Hugh dies. In others he lives. Every decision we make throughout our lives changes things. There are universes out there in which the two of you have never met because Picard chose not to save Hugh or the Qowat Milat decided not to take you in.” She pauses, taking a sip from her glass. “I don’t know why you’re only seeing the bad outcomes in your visions, kid, but it doesn’t change the fact that infinity means there has to exist at least one universe where the two of you make it off the Artifact alive.”

“Do you really believe that?” Elnor asks quietly. 

Seven’s face softens and she places her hand on top of Elnor’s. Her implants feel cool against his skin. “Somewhere out there, there is a Hugh who got to live because of you. Trust me.”

Her words give him both comfort and courage when he faces sleep that night.

He opens his eyes and finds himself once more in the corridor leading to the Queen’s Cell. Elnor knows he only has a few seconds until the Romulans will arrive and overrun them. He readies himself, fearing what lies ahead, when out of the corner of his eyes he sees Hugh’s hands fumble with a small device that looks strangely familiar.

Hugh catches him looking and offers him a small smile. “It’s a Fenris Ranger beacon,” he explains unprompted and Elnor’s eyes widen. “I thought we could use some help.”

“Seven of Nine,” Elnor breathes, and in that moment he realizes that Seven was wrong earlier. Elnor is neither the one responsible for Hugh’s death nor the one who can prevent it – at least not on his own. The way of the Qowat Milat may be a solitary one but that doesn’t mean his has to be as well. His strength lies in friends and allies, something he’d never truly understood until now, and he considers Seven to be both. She may just be the key to Hugh’s survival, and just like that Elnor feels himself start to hope again.

He grabs Hugh’s arm and pulls him out of the corridor and towards a place where they can hide.

“Where are we going?” Hugh asks a little breathlessly.

“Somewhere safe.”

Hugh stops, resisting his pull. “I can’t,” he says. “My people …”

“Will be fine,” Elnor reassures him, knowing on some subconscious level that it’s true. “The Tal Shiar can’t use them against you if they don’t find you, and the xBs are of no use to them otherwise. Trust me.”

And to Elnor’s utter amazement Hugh does. He follows Elnor to the place where Elnor has hidden in his own universe a lifetime ago, rocking back and forth lost in grief while he waited for Seven to arrive. Now they wait together for her, pressed shoulder to shoulder and talking in quiet, subdued voices. Elnor is still cautious but he can’t help but hope that this time things will be different, that in this universe everyone makes the right choices and Hugh won’t die.

When Seven finally arrives on the cube, Elnor runs up to her and hugs her. She is startled, not yet used to his emotional outbursts as his own universe’s Seven is, but recovers quickly.

“I am so glad you are here,” Elnor tells her, meaning every word.

“Well,” Seven says, clearing her throat and exchanging an awkward look with Hugh. “Can’t have Romulans taking over a Borg cube, now can we? No offense, kid.”

Elnor smiles at her so widely his face hurts. “None taken.”

On their way to the Queen’s Cell they encounter the Zhat Vash agent. She is no match for Elnor when he doesn’t have to worry about Hugh’s safety. He knows Seven will look out for him and protect him, and she does. She catches the blade the agent throws with ease in mid-air and throws it right back at her, hitting her right in the throat which Elnor thinks is poetic justice.

Before he can finish what Seven started, the Zhat Vash agent is beamed away and Elnor can’t even be mad about it because as far as he’s concerned they have already won. This was the defining moment, the one challenge Elnor could not master on his own, and he finally overcame it.

The rest, as they say, is history. Everything plays out just like it had in Elnor’s universe, with only one exception: Hugh is alive.

He’s right next to Elnor, a warm and reassuring presence. When they save the xBs and have the Romulans fleeing the Artifact Hugh’s smile is almost blindingly bright and his hug is the best thing Elnor has ever experienced in his life.

He wishes he could hold on to this moment forever.

He can’t, though. Consciousness is already tugging at him, urging him to leave.

Reluctantly, Elnor pulls back from Hugh’s hug, taking in that beloved face one last time.

When he wakes up, the familiar ceiling of his room greets him. Not caring about the time, he makes his way over to Seven’s quarters. When she opens the door, bleary-eyed and hair a mess, he buries his head in her shoulder and lets the tears fall.

“Thank you,” he whispers.

He knows she doesn’t understand what’s going on, and he promises to tell her later. She indulges him, and with the knowledge of Hugh being alive and well and having not only Elnor but also Seven by his side, Elnor finally feels at peace.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! I wanted to try something new with this story: 5 short drabbles (200 words each) and a 1000 word happy ending, and I hope it works *lol*  
> I'm thinking of turning this into a small series, so let me know if you like the concept and would want to see more of it. 
> 
> For those still waiting for the next chapter of "If we hold on together": I'm working on it. Life has been so busy recently that I didn't have the time and/or energy to write something long-chaptered. But I haven't forgotten about it. I just needed to write something short and easy and uncomplicated before diving back into my multi-chaptered fics.
> 
> Have a great day, everyone, and as always much love to the Hugh Crew! <3  
> If you want to talk to me on tumblr, you can find me [here](https://ailendolin.tumblr.com/) .


End file.
